// Artificial Intelligence for Humans
// Volume 2: Nature-Inspired Algorithms
// C# Version
// http://www.aifh.org
// http://www.jeffheaton.com
//
// Code repository:
// https://github.com/jeffheaton/aifh
//
// Copyright 2014 by Jeff Heaton
//
// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
// You may obtain a copy of the License at
//
//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
//
// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
// limitations under the License.
//
// For more information on Heaton Research copyrights, licenses
// and trademarks visit:
// http://www.heatonresearch.com/copyright
//
using AIFH_Vol2.Core.Evolutionary.Genome;
using AIFH_Vol2.Core.Learning;
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

namespace AIFH_Vol2.Core.Evolutionary.CODEC
{
    /// <summary>
    /// A CODEC defines how to transfer between a genome and phenome. Every CODEC
 /// should support genome to phenome. However, not every code can transform a
/// phenome into a genome.
    /// </summary>
    public interface IGeneticCODEC
    {
        /// <summary>
        /// Decode the specified genome into a phenome. A phenome is an actual
        /// instance of a genome that you can query.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="genome">The genome to decode.</param>
        /// <returns>The phenome.</returns>
        IMLMethod Decode(IGenome genome);

        /// <summary>
        /// Attempt to build a genome from a phenome. Note: not all CODEC's support
        /// this. If it is unsupported, an exception will be thrown. 
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="phenotype">The phenotype.</param>
        /// <returns>The genome.</returns>
        IGenome Encode(IMLMethod phenotype);
    }
}
